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IN A COUNTRY where the sport of hockey comes pretty close to being the nation's official religion and our one unifying cultural institution, young fanatics have no end of information sources on their hockey heroes and advice on how to emulate them. Of course, the publishers of books for kids in Canada have never been blind to this fact, and over the years have churned out works on hockey in numbers that would surely stagger the imagination of people in other countries. This year is no exception, and three books deserve recognition for the ways they have attempted to meld this national sports obsession with the unique requirement of books for young readers.
One of these books doesn't quite make it past the minor leagues, however. Hockey Goaltending for Young Players: An Instructional Guide is billed as "an essential one-volume guide for coaches, parents and young players." However, author Francois Allaire, a long-time goalie coach for the Montreal Canadiens and currently a consultant with several NHL goalkeepers has produced a book that will reach only about half of that intended audience: this is not a book for kids. A translation of Allaire's...